Can you please explain to me what this means. All I got out of it was that Jackson favored a federal government with limited powers. But how does that connect to what strict constructionism is?
Strict Constructionism
Like the Jeffersonians who strongly believed in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, Jacksonians initially favored a federal government of limited powers. Jackson said that he would guard against "all encroachments upon the legitimate sphere of State sovereignty". This is not to say that Jackson was a states' rights extremist; indeed, the Nullification Crisis would find Jackson fighting against what he perceived as state encroachments on the proper sphere of federal influence. This position was one basis for the Jacksonians' opposition to the Second National Bank. As the Jacksonians consolidated power, they more often advocated a more expansive construction of the Constitution and of Presidential power.
Strict constructionists believe that the letter, not the supposed intent, of the Constitution should govern the court's decisions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strict_constructionism
The passage you provided discusses the concept of strict constructionism and its connection to Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian era.
Strict constructionism is the belief that the powers of the federal government should be narrowly interpreted and limited to only what is explicitly stated in the Constitution. This means that the government should not exercise any powers that are not explicitly granted to it by the Constitution.
In the passage, it mentions that Jackson initially favored a federal government with limited powers. This means that he aligned with the principles of strict constructionism, as he believed that the federal government should only exercise the powers specifically granted to it by the Constitution. He stated that he would guard against any encroachments upon what he considered the legitimate sphere of State sovereignty, meaning that he would protect the rights and powers of individual states.
However, it's important to note that Jackson was not an extreme states' rights advocate. The passage mentions that he opposed what he saw as state encroachments on the proper sphere of federal influence, particularly in the context of the Nullification Crisis. In this case, Jackson took a more expansive view of federal power to assert the authority of the federal government over the states.
As the Jacksonians consolidated power and advanced their political agenda, they often advocated for a broader interpretation of the Constitution and expanded presidential power. This means that, over time, their views shifted away from strict constructionism and towards a more flexible and expansive interpretation of the Constitution.
Therefore, while Jackson initially favored a federal government with limited powers, his stance on strict constructionism evolved as he faced various political challenges during his presidency.